High School

In high school, learn as much as you can about technology and the Internet. Take any computer security, database management, and social media classes that are offered, and join your school’s computer club. Sign up for English and speech classes to build your communication skills, which you will use daily when interacting with customers. Other useful courses include social studies, government, philosophy, psychology, mathematics, marketing, and statistics.

Postsecondary Education

You do not need a college degree to work as a personal privacy advisor, but earning a degree will increase your knowledge and also serve as a sign to potential clients that you have received the education and training that will help you to do your job well. Advisors have many different educational backgrounds. Some have degrees in information security or other computer-related fields. Others have degrees in journalism, English, communications, social media, marketing, and business.

Certification

Many colleges and universities offer undergraduate and graduate certificates in Internet security, programming, database management, computer science, and related areas. For example, the University of Maryland offers the following graduate certificates in cybersecurity: Cybersecurity Management and Policy; Cybersecurity Technology; Homeland Security Management; and Information Assurance. Certificates in social media, communications, business management, marketing, and related topics will also be useful for aspiring or current personal privacy advisors. Contact schools in your area to learn about available programs.

The IEEE Computer Society offers certificates of achievement to those who complete the following security-related courses: Foundations of Software Security, Secure Software Design, Managing Secure Software Development, Cloud Governance and Security, and Secure Software Coding.

Other Education or Training

Professional associations offer in-person courses and webinars on information security, communications, social media, and other topics that are of interest to personal privacy advisors. For example, the CERT Division offers in-person and online continuing education classes such as Practical Risk Management: Framework and Methods; Insider Threat Program Implementation and Operation; and Malware Analysis Apprenticeship. Other opportunities are provided by the International Association of Computer Investigative Specialists, Information Systems Security Association, (ISC)², SANS Institute, Association for Computing Machinery, and the IEEE Computer Society. Contact these organizations for more information.

Certification or Licensing

You do not need to be certified to work as a personal privacy advisor, but if you plan to work in corporate or government information security, earning a certification credential will expand your knowledge and increase your chances of landing a job. (ISC)² offers several certification designations to applicants who pass an examination and meet other requirements. Some of its designations include associate of (ISC)² (an entry-level credential),certified information systems security professional, systems security certified practitioner, certified cloud security professional, certified authorization professional, certified secure software lifecycle professional, and healthcare information security and privacy practitioner. CompTIA, SANS Institute, and vendors of Internet security software and other products also provide certification programs.

Prior experience and education in data security, personal privacy, and related issues is required.

Personal privacy advisors need strong analytical, problem-solving, communication, interpersonal, and teaching skills in order to identify personal privacy risk areas, develop solutions to address these issues, and educate clients about data security and privacy issues. In order to operate a successful business, advisors need strong business management, marketing, and basic financial management skills. Other important traits include excellent organizational and time-management skills.